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European Parliament Disables Built-In AI on Lawmakers’ Devices Over Data Security Risks

An internal review flagged cloud data flows from on-device assistants, prompting a precautionary rollback during a broader security assessment.

Overview

  • An internal email sent Monday informed members that AI writing and summarizing assistants, enhanced virtual assistants, and webpage summaries on Parliament-issued tablets and phones have been switched off.
  • IT staff said they cannot yet guarantee what data these features may transmit to external cloud services, so the tools will remain disabled until assessments conclude.
  • Email, calendar, documents, and other core productivity applications continue to function and are not part of the rollback.
  • The guidance urges lawmakers to take similar precautions on personal devices used for work, including avoiding third-party AI apps that request broad access or scan sensitive content.
  • The press service said it is monitoring threats but declined to detail specific features or operating systems, a move consistent with earlier steps such as the 2023 TikTok ban and calls to favor European software over Microsoft.